BEECH GROVE, IN – A 16-year-old boy from Indiana has been charged as an adult after a drug transaction ended in the fatal shooting of an 18-year-old woman in a suburb of Indianapolis, authorities said.
Court records indicate that Emanuel Carter, who was 15 at the time of the incident, now faces adult charges of murder and robbery in the death of Makayla Bauman. The shooting occurred on the evening of September 29, 2024, in the Beech Grove area.
Investigators say Bauman and her younger brother drove to an apartment complex intending to sell marijuana to Carter. According to a probable cause affidavit, as the siblings arrived to make the transaction, Carter and another individual approached the vehicle, both reportedly armed. One of the suspects allegedly threatened the siblings, demanding their belongings and warning, “Do you want to die?”
Bauman’s brother attempted to flee by reversing the car, but gunfire erupted. Bauman was struck in the chest. Before losing consciousness, she alerted her brother that she thought she had been shot. He attempted to rush her to the hospital, but as her condition worsened, he stopped the vehicle and called for help. Officers arrived to find Bauman’s brother trying to control the bleeding as paramedics responded. Bauman later died from her injuries at the hospital.
Detectives learned that Bauman’s brother and Carter both attended Beech Grove High School. The identity of the second suspect was not initially known to the brother, but police later identified the individual as Carter’s sibling. Authorities have not disclosed whether Carter’s brother will face any charges.
Carter later told detectives that it was he and his brother who were being robbed and claimed someone in the car brandished a gun. However, police say they found no evidence that Bauman or her brother were armed during the encounter.
Further investigation led officers to another witness, who reported that Carter had announced intentions to “rob a white boy of some marijuana” earlier that day, according to the affidavit. Police arrested Carter the day after the incident, and murder charges were filed in adult court this week.
Makayla Bauman was remembered for her vivacious personality, warmth, and intelligence. Her obituary described her as someone who brightened every room she entered and brought laughter and compassion wherever she went.
Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the shooting. Carter remains in custody as his case moves through the adult court system.